Premier Rachel Notley’s Climate Leadership Plan is being praised in many circles, mainly outside the province. The premier even had the opportunity to tout its merits to world leaders at the Paris COP21 summit.

However, Notley’s plan isn’t even a viable solution for Alberta, let alone for the rest of the planet. It’s highly flawed — too expensive, inefficient and ideologically driven. Using it as a model for other jurisdictions is certainly foolish, and possibly devastating.

Before footing the bill for an aggressive climate plan, Albertans deserve to know that Notley and her team explored all possible options. Sadly, upon review of the plan, it’s obvious they did not.

Notley’s plan aims to phase out Alberta’s coal-fired power plants by 2030 (regardless of their age) and replace them with more expensive alternatives. But what if Alberta could vastly exceed its climate targets without damage to its own industry and economy? Wouldn’t that be better?

To do this, all Notley has to do is think like a business, and look for timely, strategic acquisitions by government, but beyond its own provincial borders.

One potential acquisition target can be found as close as B.C., — Teck Resources.

Teck’s mines produce 25 to 30 million tonnes of coal per year for use in overseas steelmaking. When burned, that coal produces 60 to 70 million tonnes of CO2 per year that goes into the atmosphere.

Teck’s current market cap is $3 billion, with about a third of its assets in coal. So, for a one-time, $1-billion expenditure, the Alberta government could buy all of Teck’s coal assets, to shut them down immediately.

That approach would be crazy for a corporation, but not for the government, which has no profit mandate. Notley’s only goal would be to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, while putting Alberta’s interests first, by buying and closing a largely B.C.-based carbon source.

Here’s the kicker: The CO2 reduced by shuttering just those assets equals 60 to 70 million tonnes, which exceeds the total target of 50 million tonnes by 2030. Just think of the ways that money could be saved, or put towards real green initiatives.

This approach is a viable response to organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation, which states “since climate change is a global problem, an emission reduction made elsewhere has the same positive effect as one made locally.”

So, does Notley’s plan, which delays making a real climate impact for many years, while wasting billions of dollars, seem like climate leadership to you?

Has no one considered Alberta’s ability to buy up and shut down resources in other jurisdictions? Either they haven’t, which means consultation was poorly done, or they have, which means the option was kept secret.

If the latter is true, it’s a worrisome sign that the authors of this plan have reverse-engineered it to achieve a predetermined outcome. But what could their end game be?

According to the plan, the new carbon tax will cost the average household at least $450 more per year in energy and gasoline costs. This is a tax on use, meaning that Alberta’s government is making its resources more expensive at home, but not for export markets. It hurts average people precisely when many are already struggling to pay their bills.

It feels like there’s a certain vengefulness baked into this plan; an idea that Albertans should accept some moral punishment, now and into the foreseeable future, because of their prior “undeserved” resource-based prosperity.

East of Winnipeg, it’s easy to find people who want to see Alberta put in its place, even if it doesn’t improve their own situations whatsoever. This Schadenfreude-driven view may not be new, but an Alberta premier’s acceptance of it is.

A quick look at the government’s advisers turns up several Ontario NDP stalwarts, including Brian Topp, Graham Mitchell and Nathan Rotman, who are chiefs of staff to the premier, to the energy minister, and and to the finance minister respectively. Albertans are right to worry that Notley has allowed foxes into our henhouse.

Public opposition to Notley’s plan is nearly as flawed as the plan itself. Critics predictably respond to misguided ideology with ideology of their own. They often refuse to accept that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are a major contributor to climate change. Or, they argue in favour of profits and job creation with a seeming disregard for the environment.

Notley isn’t giving detractors time to get their acts together, either. Instead of consulting broadly, she has gotten four oilsands executives on-side, while excluding dozens of other petroleum producers and making a mockery of CAPP’s lobbying clout.

Like the industry, Albertans are left arguing at their own kitchen tables about the details of what’s in the plan, instead of realizing how much is missing. Meanwhile, everyone’s distraction allows the government to push forward with less public scrutiny.

The global community demands action on climate change, and Canadians and Albertans must take a leadership position. But this cannot mean burdening citizens, businesses and municipalities with a new tax. That’s not leadership, that’s laziness.

Instead, no matter what our individual views on climate policy, we must all demand that our governments’ efforts at least offer good value for money, are built on evidence, and make a real difference. Notley’s plan is an abysmal waste of money, and defers true climate action for too long. There are ways to set and meet targets without putting an excessive burden on families, businesses and municipalities. Alberta needs a premier dedicated to finding a better solution.

F. Larry Martin served as deputy minister to the premier of Saskatchewan, and assistant deputy minister of rural development and intergovernmental affairs in Manitoba.He is retired and lives in Canmore.

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